


The Beijing Dad

by the_ube_flying_tiger



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-29
Updated: 2016-03-29
Packaged: 2018-05-29 22:25:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6396292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_ube_flying_tiger/pseuds/the_ube_flying_tiger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>China wanders around his ever changing historic capital and is generally pretty happy about life. Inspired by Jan Wong's "A Comrade Lost and Found."</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Beijing Dad

This is Bejing. China braces himself and steps outside. The sand sweeps over his worn tennis shoes and he takes a deep breath. Oh, the air won't hurt him. No, not when he feels this strong and this healthy. Despite every warning, he plans to stay outdoors all day today, and there's no stopping him. The panda shaped maskes were tempting, but no one could make him wear a mask. Not today. Today was his day, that's what they told him.

The wave of taxi cabs are impenetrable and he heads underground. When he comes up again he makes his way to an open green space. A plastic sign stuck in the fields lists off a multitude of rules tourists must abide by and China laughs. Perhaps a little too loudly, but he doesn't really care much. He places one foot in front of the other, performing a balancing act on pavement which previously held ginormous red walls, constructed by the Ming dynasty over three centuries ago. Despite his protests, Chima helped tear them down himself back when Mao Zedong was still alive. He was sad to see them go, but what could he do? At least now foreigners must abide by his rules. He pictures the massive construction now as he traces their previous foundations with his dusty shoes, and smiles fondly at the memory. Today he is a tourist. The city has been changing so quickly he confuses himself. A little forein girl runs past him and he loses his footing and falls. Hardly anyone blinks as he picks himself up. 

He had forgotten his cell phone at home, which was a bummer since it is a new one and his bosses are supposed to be able to contact him. But he doesnt really mind. They couldnt such hold a silly thing against an old man. But he didnt forget his ID and found access to the instant noodle stadium construction site. 

He and Hongli sit on the hot car top admiring the stadium's progress. China takes a deep breath. "Ey, don't do that." Hongli shot China a concerned look. "It's bad enough we're outdoors. Want me to give you a ride home?" China shook his head, "Don't worry about your country. I am as healthy as ever. The air won't hurt me." 

"Okay, but if you need anything…"

"I need absolutely nothing!" China slides from the car top and displays a little victory spin. 

"Ok, ok!" Hongli laughs and throws his helmet at him. China catches it and puts it on his head. "How do I look?" 

"Why are you in Beijing? You should be strutting down a catwalk in Shanghai."

"You have my complete consensus."

Hongli had to go back to work and China offered to bring him back something to eat. It took a while for him to find a restaurant to his liking, but he figured Hongli wouldnt mind and he would make it worth the wait.

"Aiya, I can't finish all this. You must have some yourself."  
"No, thank you. You should bring some back for your little girl. I bought Sichuan for her."  
"You're too kind, but I insist. She will be fine. Eat!"

In the end, China wins. Bypassing all the formalities, he really wants Hongli to bring back a good meal, and he has plenty money to spend that day. It's three in the afternoon he has bought five more pairs of slippers. A whole new set of hairties and pins. And presents for his little siblings coming to visit that week. Capitalism is golden and his bargaining skills couldn't be more tight. He ties his hair up to keep the sweat off his neck, and wanders into a lively barber shop full of construction workers. Everyone there is a migrant worker. There are girls cutting hair and shaving beards. People wonder why he's there as he declines several suggestions and offers made in broken Mandarin for particular cuts or styles. Instead, he offer to take a girl to dinner. She couldn't be older than 18. But she seemed more comfortable interacting with the boys than the others. She looks surprised when China, an obvious Beijinger, address her in her native Henan dialect, and then applauses when you finally find out her village dialect. "My shift ends at five." She explains.

For her sake China hails a taxi cab and they make your way to Tiananmen Square. He is a tourist today afterall, and so is his guest. Her name is Li Guanglin in the common language. You introduce yourself as Wang Yao. China jokes about them having the two most common surnames in the country. Xiao Li laughs too, but asks "How do you know that?" They both fall into conversation and he lets her talk about her family and her work. How she learned how to cut hair. She talks about her living standards and informs you that she and her roommates just bought a refrigerator, and China feels a subtle smile rise into his face. The traffic stops half way through and they both step outside. China is about to reach into his bag for the mask he almost thew away, but Guanglin already has one, the straps pulled over her ears. She has an extra pair and offers it to China. China wears his own. 

They walk across the square and a plain clothes policeman offers to take their photo, but China declines. Xiao Li has never been to Tiananmen and China finds himself babbling about ancient history and how Tiananmen Square came to be. How giant the Forbidden City was before the cultural revolution. He isn't surprised when she doesn't seem to remember anything about what happened her in 1989. He talks on and on and about how much the city has changed and what he hopes it will be in the future. When he finally pauses Xiao Li expresses how nice it is to have someone tell her these things in her own dialect. "It's easy when I'm interacting with people from my own province, but I still can't understand half of what you Beijingers are saying! And now I know so much more about this city. Are you a professional tour guide?"

China laughs, "Where did you learn that? 'Professional tour guide.'"

"On the television of course. In America they have these buses with a top deck so you can see the view while someome like you talks about the tour sites.… why are you making that face?"

"Nothing." 

They find a good place to eat and they settle in for dinner. Afterwards he buys her presents to bring back when she goes back to Henan. He hails a taxi and rides home with her. She has a one-room flat and China compliments her tiny refridgerator. She tells him how much it was worth and repeats the story of how long it took to save up for it. Theyre's an electric burner in the corner She explains that her roommates are all schoolgirls and work during the night and he could stay over if he wanted to. China was supposed to report back to his own residence long before that hour, but his bosses have no way of contacting him. He knows he probably shouldn't and that her parents would not approve of him sharing the room with her and he tells her so. She shrugs and says, "but this is Beijing." 

He ends up staying the night. And inbetween snores he wakes up to scold her. Xiao Li is wide awake and tells her Beijing dad to stop wasting his energy. That he should rest. She starts talking about her future and how she'd like to move to America someday, learn English, perhaps go to university. China snaps awake, but stays very still. She cannot see his face and he frowns. It's been so long since he had anyone to look after. He had stopped 'adopting' little ones since he lost most of them in the war of resistence. 

He hadn't told her yet. That he was going to stay himself and watch as she grew older and more confident. He was determined to find her a good job and a good husband. He knew why she wanted to move to America. He understood that. "Everyone is looking for an escape!" He blurts out. She pauses. "What's that?" But China covers by mumbling in extinct languages. Xiao Li laughs assuming he was only sleep talking. China feels himself getting more and more attached to this girl. He would hate to see her move to the U. S. where prospects are promised, but not realized. He thinks he knows this America, and all he wants is to warn Xiao Li of all the deception and lies of the West. He stays silent. He knows he is bitter and his judgement is unsound. Perhaps he is not as healthy as he likes to say. But it's meeting people like Xiao Li that drives him to be more developed, more wealthy, more powerful. Or so he tells himself


End file.
